Vulcanizing-kettle supply system



Sept 14, 1943- 4E. A. GLYNN '2,329,467

VULCANIZING? KETTLE SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Sept. 29, 1942 KETTLE .5l/PPL Y THA/K RTTYS Patented Sept. 14, 1943 of California ,alcorporation` j 17. claims.

This invention relates to the rubber vulcanizing art; and'particularly-to the vulcanizing of rubber goods such as tires in what is commonly known in the industry as a vulcanizing kettle; this being a pressure tight vessel `in which the goods are disposed in an unconned manner.

As is well known, steam alone is not a satisfactory vulcanizing medium to be used within the kettle, since the proper combination of an efcient vulcanizing temperature, together with an efficient vulcanizing pressure, cannot well be obtained thereby. Nor is compressed and heated air a suitable medium, since the oxygen in the air has a detrimental action on rubber.

The principal object of my invention is to provide for the supplying to the vulcanizing kettle, of a Vulcanizing medium which includes steam to provide the necessary vulcanizing temperature, and a gaseous element free of oxygen to provide the :necessary vulcanizing pressure; the latter element being naturally formed as a by-producty of the steam generating process so that no additional equipment or expense is needed to supply the same.

Another object is to provide a kettle supplying system as above generally outlined of such construction that the necessary temperature and pressure conditions in the kettle, when once obtained, are automatically maintained regardless of temperature 0r pressure conditions at the source.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive system and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

The figure on the drawing is a diagram of my improved system.

In the drawing, I denotes a vulcanizing kettle in which the goods te be vulcanized are enclosed.

The desired steam pressure, which need not be greatly in excess of 100 pounds, is generated in a. boiler 2 by means of any suitable form of hydrocarbon fuel or burner 3,.the products of combustion from whichmainly carbon dioxide-'-` pass into a collecting stack 4.

Steam is conducted from the boiler to the 1 efficient vulcanizing, should be approximately 2805;' F.z' tcourse snrnewhaiiflesa the temperature' cfr steam at# lf: pounds' l 894188 pressure.

The stack 4 passes through a cooler 'I and leads to a compressor 8 which compresses the cooled products of combustion in the stack to approximately 100 pounds and discharges the same into a supply tank or reservoir 9. From the reservoir, a pipe Il) leads to the kettle, with a pressure control valve I I therein, controlled by pressure oonditions withinl the kettle, and set so as to close when the pressure within the kettle reaches approximately 100 poundsthis being an efficient vulcanizing pressure. A pressure relief valve I2 may also be attached to the kettle, to function to relieve excess pressure should this be attained due to failure of the other valves. Also, manual shutoff valves I3 are interposed in pipes 5 and Il) as well as a manual exhaust valve I4 from the kettle, which is normally closed, but which is opened to relieve the pressure at the finish of a vulcanizing operation, as well as when the steam or gases are first admitted, in order to allow of the discharge of air initially trapped within the kettle.

In operation,` admission of the steam into the kettle is Withheld until the gaseous product from tank 9 has been admitted to a certain pressure. Thereafter, both such products and the steam are allowed ,to enter the kettle, the yautomatic valves 6 and II controlling the flow so that the desired ultimate of approximately 100 pounds pressure and 280 F. temperature are attained. The steam and gas pressures are maintained substantially the same in the respective pipes in order that there will be no back pressure in one or the other.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a system as substantially fullls the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the system, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Incombination with a pressure tight vulcanizing kettle, a steam boiler, a steam line leading from the boiler to the kettle to provide a predetermined heat therein, the boiler being adapted to be heated by a hydrocarbon fuel, a

means to compress such products and deliver them into the kettle to provide a predetermined pressure therein.

- 2. A combination as in claim 1, and means to maintain the initial pressure of the steam, and that of said products after compression, substantially equal.

3. A combination 'as in claim 1, with means to cool the products of combustion before delivering the same to the kettle. v

4. In combination with a pressure tight vulcanizing kettle, a steam boiler, a steam line leading from the boiler to the kettle to provide a predetermined heat therein, the boiler being adapted to be heated by a hydrocarbon fuel, and means to compress the productsof combustion from the fuel and deliver the same into.the kettle to provide a predetermined pressuretherein.

5. A combination as in claim 4, with means governeduby temperature conditions within the kettle to control the flow of steam into the kettle, and means governed by pressure conditions withinthe kettle to control the delivery oi' thev compressed products of combustion to the kettle.

6. 'Ifhe method of providing predetermined temperature and pressure conditions within a vulcanizing kettle comprising generating steam with the aid of a hydrocarbon fuel, admitting steam to the kettle to an extent determined by the temperature Within the kettle, compressing the products of combustion from the fuel, and passing such compressed products into the kettle to an extent determined by pressure conditions within the kettle.

'7. In combination with a pressure tight vulcanizing kettle, means to generate steam by burning a carbonaceous fuel and to feed such steam to the kettle. and means to feed the carbon dioxide produced by burning` of the fuel, into the kettle. f a

EDWIN A. GLYNN. 

